


The Hotel of Rassilon

by Floptopus



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Gallifrey (Big Finish Audio), Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Also the SJA crew, B&B AU, Gen, I'm Sorry, The Galligang, but i'm trying, in a fun crossover, this isn't going to be as good as the AU deserves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-06-23 13:44:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15607557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Floptopus/pseuds/Floptopus
Summary: The Gallifrey Gang (Minus that oily toad, Irving Braxiatel) have escaped from the rages of war and are now running a Bed and Breakfast as a family. However, the new guests at their little hotel clearly aren't all they claim to be...Sarah Jane Smith and her young friends are staying at a Bed and Breakfast as they investigate suspected alien activity in the surrounding area. However, most suspicious are the odd family of four that run the hotel...





	1. Chapter One

_“Hi, Gita!”_

_“Hi, Sarah! Can I help?”_

_“Well, this weekend I was intending to do some investigation on an article I’m writing and I was wondering if Rani could come with me to get some experience? We’d be staying over until Sunday night, but not too far outside London.”_

_“Oh, Sarah, that’s wonderful! Of course I’d be perfectly happy to leave Rani in your capable hands for the weekend. You know, just the other day I was saying to Haresh…”_

_“Hello?”_

_“Good morning, Carla. It’s Sarah Jane here. I’m intending to go away for the weekend with Luke to investigate an article and I was hoping Clyde could come too, just to keep Luke company. Would that be okay with you?”_

_“Of course it would. I know how much they get along, and it’s always good for Clyde to spend more time with his friends.”_

_“Thank you, I know Luke will appreciate it. If Clyde comes to mine straight from school…”_

\---

“Afternoon all,” Sarah Jane Smith chirped as she breezed into the attic. She paused as she noticed Luke, Rani, Clyde and K-9 sitting on the floor around a pile of notes and stationary, Mr. Smith open and displaying the image of a planet. “And what are we doing here?” she asked.

“School project,” Clyde replied cheerfully. “’Discuss the theoretical possibility of life on other planets and their biology, technology and culture.’ Easy peasy.”

Rani frowned. “I still say it’s cheating if we use an existing alien race,” she said. “Shouldn’t we work in hypotheticals, like everyone else?”

“This project is graded as part of our General Studies GCSE,” added Luke. “You may not care much about the subject, Clyde, but it’s still important that we get a good grade in it.”

“Well,” cut in Sarah Jane, unwilling to let the argument continue, “you might have to put it on hold for a while. Mr Smith has picked up some potentially alien activity just outside London that I think we ought to look into, and I’d like the four of you to come with me to investigate over the weekend. I’ve already checked it out with Rani’s parents and Clyde’s mum, and they’re happy for you to join me. I’ve booked two rooms in a bed and breakfast locally for the two nights. Do you all want to come?”

A wide grin slowly spread across Rani’s face. Behind her, Clyde was also smiling excitedly and K-9 was wagging his tail.

Luke spoke for all of them. “Of course we do, Mum!”

\---

The Bed and Breakfast had been going better than expected. While Narvin still couldn’t be trusted not to scare guests away and Ace was on a police watchlist after an incident with Nitro 9 and a microwave, the four of them felt they were settling down better than could be expected for two aliens, a savage and Ace. Each of them had found a role of their own: Narvin managed the finances and budget, Romana manned the desk and advertising, Ace did most of the DIY and cleaning and Leela had turned out to be a surprisingly good cook. And, of course, all of them consulted for UNIT during alien invasions and kept an eye out for unwanted visitors.

This Friday, business was slow. Only two rooms had been booked out, and both under the same name. Usually, this would have been frustrating but the signals picked up by Narvin’s stolen TARDIS were a cause for concern and he was more than happy to have the time to investigate them.

He had been trying to work out why the Ford Prefect had become grounded on Earth when the cloister bell had started to toll. His panicked scan of the surrounding area had at first been fruitless, until he had thought to extend the scan’s range to encompass the fourth dimension. That was when he had discovered what now troubled him – Black Light. Neither he nor Romana could quite believe what the scan was showing them, especially not in the quantities suggested.

“Romana, readings this intense suggest rods constructed purely of Black Light! You _do_ know what that means, don’t you?” The high pitch of Narvin’s voice betrayed his panic on the subject.

Romana sighed. “Of course I know what it means, Narvin. Believe me, I’m _very_ worried.”

Leela, who had come into the TARDIS to investigate the commotion, frowned. “I do not know what this means. What is this ‘black light’, and why are you so afraid of it?”

“Leela,” Narvin replied, “Black Light rods are one of the major components of a timonic fusion device.”


	2. Chapter Two

The old, green car pulled up outside the all-too familiar manor house. The old headquarters of UNIT looked exactly the same from the outside as it had in Sarah Jane’s youth, except for the Keep Out sign which had been replaced with a much friendlier welcome. Parked where Bessie had once lived was an inconspicuous-looking Ford Prefect that she found she couldn’t look at for any length of time. 

The wave of memories didn’t subside when she entered the building. The front desk looked as it always had, albeit manned by a pretty young woman instead of UNIT’s typical surly soldier types. At Sarah Jane’s entrance, the woman looked up and gave a warm smile. Sarah couldn’t help but smile back – something about her inspired trust and respect. In fact, she couldn’t help but feel that the woman was somehow familiar. 

“Hi, I’m Sarah Jane Smith. I have two rooms booked for the weekend.” 

“I’ve been expecting you. I’m Romana.” At this, she offered her hand. “I’m the manager here. I’ll show you to your rooms.” She looked over Sarah Jane’s shoulder at Luke and Clyde, who were struggling with a large bag between them as well as the rucksacks they each wore. “Do you need help with your luggage?”

Clyde noticeably relaxed. “Thank God,” he muttered. 

Luke just smiled politely and said, “Yes, please. This bag really is rather heavy.”

Romana nodded and opened a door behind the desk. Sticking her head through, she called out to the occupant. “Narvin, could you please help our guests with their luggage?”  
A man followed her out with an exasperated sigh. “What do they need me to carry?” he asked irritably. She raised her eyebrow at him and nodded to the others. He sighed again. “Romana, I’m _busy,_ ” he warned quietly. Turning to face the guests, he forced a smile onto his face. “What do you need help with? This big bag here?” He approached the bag that the boys had dropped. 

Luke nodded. Narvin grabbed a handle and helped them haul it towards the stairs, where Romana was chatting to Sarah Jane and Rani. 

“How long have you been here?” Sarah inquired.

“We’ve owned this building for just over five years,” Romana replied. “Narvin’s sister, Ace, inherited it and we’ve been running it as a family ever since.”

“So,” Rani asked her, “You and Narvin are related?”

She grinned. “I’d tell you how, but then he’d have to kill you.”

“ _Romana…_ ”

She laughed, and handed Sarah Jane two keys. “Narvin’s my–” she hesitated for a second and glanced at him. “My brother-in-law. Anyway,” she continued, clearly eager to change the subject, “these are your rooms.”

“Thank Ras- Thank goodness,” Narvin exclaimed. “What’s even _in_ this bag?”

“A tin dog,” Clyde said flatly.

“What?” Romana and Narvin exclaimed at once, sounding spooked.

Sarah Jane laughed awkwardly. “It’s just cameras and other equipment,” she lied. “Thanks for your help, we appreciate it.”

The two shared a look and headed down the stairs together. Sounds of their bickering could be heard as they headed to the front desk, though they couldn’t make out any of their words.

“Odd couple,” said Rani. “He didn’t seem too comfortable around us.”

“You think they’re suspicious?” asked Luke.

“They’re certainly worth investigating,” Sarah agreed. “Come on, you lot. Let’s get settled in.”

“Affirmative, mistress!” came a voice from inside the black bag.

\---

“They joked about a _tin dog!_ Do they know something?”

“Relax, Narvin. I am sure it was a co-incidence.” Leela didn’t even bother to turn around, instead focusing on cutting vegetables. Behind her, Narvin was perched on an empty worktop and was anxiously twisting his black scarf around his hands.

“But Ace and I-”

“You are trying to re-build the K-9s. Yes, I know. How is it going?”

With the occasional help of Romana, Narvin and Ace had been trying to reconstruct their old friends using spare parts they had uncovered in the manor’s abandoned lab and the memory data Narvin had recovered from the Matrix a very long time ago, before he had even known Ace. It was a therapeutic activity and, along with her charity work, served to keep Ace out of trouble. The two units were nearly finished and they were hoping to put the final work in that night.

“Well. They should be fully operational by tomorrow.” Narvin hopped off the side and went to leave. “I’ll make sure the lab is locked up tight. If they _are_ suspicious, it won’t do to have them stumbling across something.”

Leela finally faced him. “Take care, Narvin. If these people are our enemies, it is likely you and Romana that they are hunting. Be on your guard.”

Her concern would probably have been sweet, he thought, if she hadn’t been brandishing a very sharp knife. He left the kitchen and went to find Ace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 will be up soon!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night falls.

“Screwdriver.”

“Here.”

“Nitro 9.”

“ _NO_.”

“Aw, please? Why can’t I give them a grenade setting?” Ace pouted at Narvin as she fixed the control plate onto the metal dog in her lap. The other unit was behind her, complete and ready to be re-activated once K-9 Mark II was finished.

“Ace…” Narvin managed to inject an astonishing level of disdain and fond exasperation into the single word.

“All done!” she chirped. “C’mon, Narv. Let’s go and get the others!”

\---

The four of them were perched on the beds in the women’s room. Sarah Jane sipped her hot chocolate and flicked open her watch.

“I’ll do a quick scan for alien tech and then I think we should go to bed,” she said. “We have an early morning tomorrow.” The watch gave a series of beeps, and she frowned. “K-9, please run a thorough bio-scan of the area,” she ordered.

He wagged his tail and began to spin his ears. “Affirmative, mistress.”

“Something wrong?” asked Rani.

“It’s probably just a glitch,” she replied, “but I want to be sure. I’ll leave the watch to run a more thorough scan for technology overnight.” She stood up and clapped her hands together. “Right, you two, time to go to bed.”

Clyde groaned. “Can’t we stay around for the results of K-9’s scan?” he complained.

“No. It’s time to sleep. Go on!”

“Come on, Clyde,” Luke said with a sigh. The boys left the room, leaving the girls alone together. Sarah Jane hit a few buttons on her watch, removed it, and placed it inside the bundle of spare blankets on the chair. 

After a few minutes, K-9 spoke up. “Mistress, scans indicate four anomalous life-forms. Biology does not match with any known species. This unit does not have sufficient processing power for a full bio-data analysis.”

“Four?” asked Rani, surprised. The Bed and Breakfast’s mysterious staff were becoming more and more suspicious with each passing moment.

\---

“They are ready?” asked Leela, barely keeping the excitement out of her voice.

“Yup!” replied Ace, getting ready to hit the switches. “Are you?”

Narvin sighed. “Get on with it, Ace.”

Ace grinned, and punched in the start-up sequence into each dog’s control panel. Both units whirred to life, taking a moment to survey their surroundings. Leela and Romana broke into identical smiles, rushing over to fuss over their old companions.

Ace stood up and walked over to Narvin. “Come on,” she murmured quietly, leading him out of the room. “Let’s give them some space.”

Narvin followed Ace out of the old labs and into the kitchen. There she made two mugs of hot chocolate while chatting away happily about her charity plans. He was happy to listen, knowing how important the plans were to her. The goal of A Charitable Earth was to combine environmental and human aid, providing both short-term relief for communities stricken by natural disasters and long-term infrastructure and environmental campaigns that would help prevent such disasters from occurring in the future. The charity, founded under the name Dorothy McShane (he had teased her mercilessly for her real name, but she didn’t mind), was growing rapidly and she had already raised millions of pounds in no small part due to UNIT’s help in getting her in contact with the Jones family, who had helped greatly in boosting visibility; and Liz Shaw, whose scientific knowledge had been invaluable. 

Ace finished making the hot chocolate and, stuffing a gingerbread man into her mouth (much to Narvin’s horror), headed outside to perch on a small bench outside the manor house. There they sat, drinking the hot chocolate and looking up at the stars in comfortable silence. Like siblings, the two knew that there was a time for teasing and jokes and a time for quiet companionship. At the moment, they were content simply to enjoy each other’s company and remember how close they had come to losing each other, and the rest of their small family.

\---

Clyde was beginning to panic. He had been sure that the toilets were just around the corner, but had instead somehow ended up outside the private bedrooms of the Bed and Breakfast’s staff. Softly, trying desperately not to tread on a loose floorboard and wake everyone, he padded back in the direction he had come from in search of the loo.

Leela was feeling refreshed. She had just come in from walking the rebuilt K-9 units outside and trying to determine what they remembered. Narvin had done an excellent job at recovering the memory chips and it was clear that he and Ace had put a great deal of love and care into ensuring the dogs retained as much of their original experiences and personalities as possible. She was about to enter the room she shared with Narvin – she wasn’t concerned about waking him as he rarely slept when she wasn’t around – when she noticed one of the guests hurrying out of the corridor. Silently, she drew her knife and made to follow him.

Rani couldn’t sleep. Since she was still buzzing with excitement over the trip, she had given op and had decided to text her mum to let her know that she had settled in okay. Sadly, the reception in the hotel was awful. It was probably due to the location and the thick stone walls, she thought, and so she was heading outside in order to stand a chance of the message sending when she saw a figure scurrying in another direction. As quietly as she could, she followed the figure.

Ace was thirsty. She knew she shouldn’t drink hot chocolate that late, as sugary drinks always made her thirsty. She was almost at the kitchen when she heard footsteps behind her. Was she being followed? Her CIA training kicked in and she looped back on herself, hoping to lose her tail in the corridors or at least reach the corridor where she and the others slept and where she would have backup in the event of a struggle. She drew her stun gun from her dressing gown pocket as inconspicuously as possible, just in case her follower attacked her.

Ace was almost at her rooms when she came face-to-face with another humanoid. She jumped, holding out her taser threateningly. “Why are you following me?” she called out, trying to sound threatening.

“Ace?” Leela stepped out of the shadows, hastily sheathing her knife and looking embarrassed. “I thought you were someone else. I am sorry.”

“No worries,” she replied, pocketing the stun gun. “I panicked too. C’mon, we’re clearly both overexcited and overtired after today. Let’s go to bed.”

As she watched the two women head to their rooms, Rani breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing to worry about. She was turning around to head back to her room when she heard another voice and squeaked in fright.

“Who’s there?” Clyde called out quietly. The two women had left after an odd confrontation, but there was another figure hiding in the shadows. Upon hearing his voice, the figure squeaked and he laughed. “Rani, did you see that?”

“Yeah,” she replied, breathing a sigh of relief. “Was it me or were they both armed?”

“I saw,” he agreed. “What was that all about?”

She shrugged. “No use wondering about it tonight. Let’s go to bed.”

An awkward silence passed between them for a few seconds.  
“…Rani?”

“Yeah?”

“Where’s the loo?”


	4. Chapter Four

Morning came and, with it, breakfast. At the table, Sarah Jane was going through the results of the scan with Luke. Rani and Clyde were both still in bed, having been up late the night before. Sarah Jane was particularly puzzled by the scan, which had come back with the result of two Time Lords and two female Humans. The issue was twofold: the Time Lords, according to the Doctor, were extinct and the Humans appeared to have some sort of genetic mutation, which maybe explained the impossible ages shown on the screen.

On his laptop, Luke was looking at a more detailed genetic breakdown compared to the Doctor's, which he had stolen from UNIT's files. 

"Here, mum. The data is too similar for them not to be the same species. And this bit," he motioned to the anomalous part of one of the Humans' genes, "is familiar. I think I've seen it before."

As Luke tried to puzzle out where he could have seen a similar mutation before, a woman entered the room. When she came over to them, he closed the laptop with a snap.

"Good morning," she said, narrowing her eyes at Luke's behaviour. "I am Leela. What do you want for breakfast?"

Sarah Jane chatted to her about what was available and what she wanted, but Luke wasn't listening. He was focused on the anomaly and what it could possibly be, when it struck him.  
"Artron energy!"

"I am sorry, what did you say?" asked Leela, frowning in suspicion.

"Oh, um, nothing. I'll have the same as mum," he replied, with an apologetic smile.

She looked at them both again. "You do not look like each other," she remarked.  
"It's complicated," Sarah Jane replied.

Leela laughed at that. "All families are complicated, I think. Mine especially. I will not pry." With that, she swept out of the room.

Sarah Jane turned back to Luke. "Artron energy?" 

"Yeah. You remember Clyde and the TARDIS? The dose of Artron energy mutated his genes a tiny bit, but they healed themselves after a short while. This mutation is the same, but on a much larger and more permanent scale. It's probably the result of long exposure to Artron radiation."

Sarah Jane nodded. "So, we've found our aliens. The question is, what are two members of an extinct race and their human friends doing running a Bed and Breakfast? And what technology do they have that would concern Mr. Smith?"

\---

Narvin walked groggily into the kitchen, where Leela was preparing a pile of pancakes. At her feet was K-9, who was lecturing her on something.

"-first discussed on Earth in the year 2022 by Physicist Andrew Bert, but not officially discovered until 2054, when-"  
"Thank you, K-9, that is enough. Good morning, Narvin." Leela paused her crêpes to switch on the coffee machine, and motioned for him to sit.

"Morning, Leela." He took up his favourite perch on the worktop. It probably wasn't very hygienic to sit like that, but Leela never used that surface anyway. "So, what was K-9 explaining to you?"

"Mistress Leela requested this unit to explain Artron energy, master."

"Artron energy? Why?"

Leela frowned. "One of the guests mentioned it this morning. It is odd, because K-9 tells me that they should not know it exists yet."

"K-9? Is this true?"

"Affirmative, master. Artron energy was-"

"Yes, _thank_ you, K-9. That's quite enough."

Leela flipped a pancake. "He had a computer running," she told him, "but he shut it when I arrived."

"Suspicious," he murmured. The coffee machine beeped, and he got up to pour an extremely strong cup. "You know, I think I'll go and talk to our mysterious guests. See what I can find out. It's quite possible that they're the ones meddling with black light, though I don't see how a group of primitives could have access to technology like a timonic fusion device."

She handed him two plates of pancakes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Take care, Narvin. I do not want you to be hurt."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm a member of the CIA. I know how to be discreet."


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Clani are bad liars, and Flop tries not to make everything dialogue.

Clyde and Rani were cheerfully digging into their breakfasts when the man they had met the previous day came into the dining room, along with an unfamiliar young woman. The two were drinking exceedingly strong-looking coffee and laughing together. After a few moments, the man - Narvin, if Rani remembered rightly - turned to them and spoke.

“Why are you here?” 

They blinked, taken aback. Clyde laughed nervously and replied, “it’s a little early in the morning for existential conversations, don’t you think?”

The woman sitting with Narvin rolled her eyes. “What he means,” she said, exasperated, “is why did you come out here? We’re usually pretty quiet in term time. Despite his tone-” she poked his arm and he frowned at her- “he’s actually trying to be friendly. He’s just not very good at it.” Narvin gave an indignant squark, and she fixed him with a withering look before turning back to them and smiling. “I’m Ace, by the way. Hi!” She gave them a little wave. 

Clyde and Rani exchanged glances, trying to think. After a few moments of silence, Rani spoke up. “Sarah Jane’s a journalist, and Luke’s her son. We-” she motioned between herself and Clyde- “are with them on work experience.”

Narvin nodded. “What kind of article is she working on?”

Rani didn’t miss a beat. “Cryptids,” she said.

Narvin looked baffled. “Cryptids?”

Ace smiled. “Cryptids. You know, aliens and ghosts and all that,” she told him. He gave her an incredibly panicked look that matched the one on Clyde’s face. 

“Not that we believe in aliens or anything,” Clyde said, laughing nervously. “That stuff sells, you know? Plus, politics these days is depressing. I’d much rather focus on something less terrifying, like murderous tin pepper pots from outer space.”

Ace would have laughed, if not for the last remark. What did the kid know about Daleks? Was she jumping to conclusions? Why couldn’t she _think straight_ this morning? Sensing a blackout, probably due to dwelling too long on Daleks, she excused herself and left the room on shaky legs. As she was approaching the family hallway - _don’t think about Daleks, don’t think about Brax_ \- she heard a woman’s voice from behind her, asking if she was alright. Her breathing sped up in panic, she couldn’t let the guests see her like this, it’d scare them - _don’t think don’t think don’t think, why couldn’t she_ remember - but she couldn’t get away in time. The last thing she felt as her vision blacked out was soft arms catching her as she collapsed and a soft, comforting voice in her ear.

—-

Soon, the timeonic fusion device would be ready. Soon, they would eradicate this pathetic planet, and then their masters would rise.

—-

Ace woke up on a bed, her memory blank. She remembered meeting Narvin outside the kitchen and then nothing. She groaned, and began to sit up. Was she in a guest room? Yes- next to her was the glamorous guest that had arrived yesterday, looking at her with concern.

“Are you alright?” She asked, laying a gentle hand on her arm. “You collapsed in the corridor. What happened?”

A blackout, then. Not uncommon, sadly, but not the kind of thing you wanted happening in front of guests. She’d be mortified, if she wasn’t so concerned about what could have possibly brought it on at this time of morning. She wasn’t too dizzy, so that was something, but she didn’t think she could get up quite yet. The guest wasn’t pushing her for an answer, and she appreciated that. She was just about to come up with an answer - _would she believe a panic attack?_ \- when a metallic voice chirped up from the other side of the bed.

“Mistress, signs indicate patient has recovered consciousness. Suggest checking for concussion.” A metal dog, similar to the K-9 units she had rebuilt but clearly not her own handiwork, trundled around the bed to perch next to the guest’s leg.

“K-9!” she hissed, clearly annoyed. She flashed Ace an apologetic, if slightly panicked, smile. “Sorry,” she lied. “It’s my son’s toy. He’s really too old for it, but you know what boys are like.”

Ace arched an eyebrow. “Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes, mate. That’s a K-9 unit. What is it, a mark three?”

The guest deflated. “Mark five. An... old friend gave it to me as a parting gift.” She sighed slightly, caught up in memory.

“Old friend.” Ace studied her face, looking for the familiar signs. “Yeah. Old friend. He does that, doesn’t he. Left me on a planet with an education and a permanent visa. Figured that was pretty nice of him, ‘til I realised how xenophobic the others were.” Well, except her current family. They didn’t count, though, as outsiders themselves.

It was the guest’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “You know the Doctor?” She asked, surprised. Was that longing in her voice? She clearly knew a different man to Ace.

“Yeah,” Ace replied. “Travelled with him. The short one, with the hat and the umbrella. Which one was yours?”

“Oh, I’ve met a few. The dandy, as he called himself, and the one with the scarf were my Doctors, though.”

Ace grinned. “You know Romana and Leela’s Doctor, then? Ace!”

The woman smiled back. “Sarah Jane Smith,” she said, offering her hand.

“I’ve heard that name,” Ace mused. “Dorothy McShane. Friends call me Ace.” She batted the hand away and pulled Sarah Jane into a hug. And to think that Narvin had thought the guests were the ones creating the timeonic fusion device!

Oh, wait. The timeonic fusion device.

_Shit._


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beans are spilled

“I mean, I don’t really understand the science behind it myself, you’ll have to ask Narvin, but I know it’s bad news.”

Sarah Jane nodded, looking troubled. The science was way above her, too, but the idea of a time bomb was incredibly worrying. She suggested to the young woman, Ace, that they all meet downstairs to exchange notes. 

Romana was grumpy. She hadn’t slept well, and now she’d been dragged out of bed by Ace with no explanation. When she’d got to the breakfast room, the guests were all sitting at one table which didn’t help her mood. Why had she been called down to deal with the humans? The only saving grace was Narvin, who handed her a strong coffee with an expression that matched her feelings of irritation and exhaustion.

Ace, frustratingly chirpy as ever, addressed the guests from her perch on the table. “Let’s get this out of the way now, shall we? I know who you are.” She grinned at the terrified faces of the three kids opposite her. “Sarah Jane and I have had a little chat, and it’s been pretty useful. So, since you’re not the ones behind the timeonic fusion device we think we’ve detected, I reckon we should work together to find out who is.”

Narvin started at Ace, spluttering slightly. “You’re trusting them? Just like that?” He asked, his voice squeaking slightly in panic. 

Sarah Jane nodded, and explained what had brought them to the area, who they were and how she and Ace had come to realise each other’s identity.

Narvin sighed. “Of course you know the Doctor,” he murmured irritably. 

Leela chuckled at that, and laid a hand on his arm. “I do not understand, Narvin. What do you have against the Doctor? Surely you can put this petty dislike behind you, now that you are not enemies?”

Narvin frowned, grumbling something about risotto and ovens. He glared sharply at Ace when she heard him giggle, and she winked at him.

“Hold up,” Clyde said, breaking up the brewing argument. “I don’t get it. If you’re not the aliens we picked up, who are you? K-9 was pretty insistent that you’re not human.”

Romana and Leela both snapped their gazes to him. “K-9?” The asked in unison.

Having seen the robot dog earlier, Ace didn’t bother answering them. “We’re Time Lords. Or, at least, Romana and Narvin are. Leela and I are humans, but we’ve spent a great deal of time on Gallifrey, and that’s altered our DNA. You wouldn’t believe it, but I’m actually over one hundred years old.” Clyde stared at her, analysing her face for signs of her age but finding nothing. She seemed to find his reaction amusing, though Narvin was still less than impressed.

“Must I be the one to remind everybody of the reason we’re gathered here in the first place?” Asked Romana, sounding frustrated. “The timeonic fusion device. If these humans didn’t build it, the perpetrators must still be on the loose. I don’t know why nobody else seems to be worried about that.”

Narvin nodded in agreement. “Believe me, Romana, I’m _very_ worried about it.” 

“Narvin, I didn’t doubt that _you_ were worried. _You’re_ worried about everything. I was asking the others.”

Luke opened his laptop, tapping a few keys before looking up at them all. “I think I have a plan that could help out,” he announced.


End file.
